The evolution of Josh Giddey's jump shot

Under the watchful eye of Chip Engelland, Giddey has turned a weakness into a weapon.

Josh Giddey has always been known for his passing ability, but ever since he burst on to the scene as an NBL rookie, questions have lingered on his jump shot. The floor general made two of his first 20 three-point attempts (10%) with the Adelaide 36ers, but recovered to finish on a season three-point clip of 29%, making 29 of 99 shots. NBA scouts would have been intrigued at his development over such a short space of time, and looking back, one could definitely see the potential in his shot.

Giddey has never been afraid to go through the growing pains of refining his jumper. Even as an 18 year old professional, he didn’t shy away from off-dribble looks, and attempted the occasional “long two” - often cited as the least efficient shot in basketball. Giddey developed certain habits early on in his career, such as a tendency to rarely dip the ball. The jury’s still out on whether this is detrimental to one’s shooting form, but many coaches teach to keep the ball at or above chest height, when launching into a shot.

Going back to his junior days, Giddey also liked to achieve full elbow extension on his shot. Again, the merit on this technique is up for debate, but theoretically full elbow extension allows for a more predictable end point in the shooting motion. In addition to this, Giddey has always shown a commitment to following through with his shot, even as a teenager during his NBL/NBL1 days. The foundations were always there for a reliable shot, but Giddey still had a lot of work ahead of him.